How to visit Bergamo by public transportation

Bergamo is one of the most charming cities in Italy, however a little for shyness a little for modesty, its charme is not fully appreciated. We suggest you to discover this wonderful city slowly, in an old fashioned way, visiting it on foot or by public transportation.

The local transport service – ATB – has been running on the territory for more than a century and it offers efficient means of transport in order to tour the city and its province. Using its 18 lines, you can reach 30 municipalities but, almost all, you can move through the city that, as it is known, it is divided into a lower town – the modern one – and an upper town – the ancient one. The cable car is the most extraordinary way to pass from today Bergamo to the quiet medieval one. The most famous and most used cable car has its lower station in via Vittorio Emanuele II 62, whereas the upper station is located in Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe. The altitude gap is 85 metres with a maximum slope of 52% and the cable car takes less than three minutes to climb up the hill. This cable car has worked since 1887. The other one, opened in 1912, offers a fast climb from Porta Sant’Alessandro to the hill of San Vigilio. Here, in addition to visit the rests of the castle, you can enjoy the outstanding sight of the valley and of the sorrounding mountains.

To the tourists who don’t want to walk too much and enjoy the beautiful view the Venecian walls offer, we suggest to take the Line 1A which crosses the city passing the gate of Porta Nuova, gives a lift to the cable car and arrives to Colle Aperto, soul of the ancient village.

From Orio al Serio Airport the Line 1 links to the train station every half an hour. The train station is close to the city center and all the main bus lines pass through.

To the tourists who love walking, we recommend to reach the Upper City using the many steps which go from the bottom of the hill to the top: via Sudorno, Fontanbrolo, Borgo Canale, via del Paradiso are some of their names. In this case the Line 2 “Ospedale” is useful to reach the area where these steps begin.

It is important to remember to buy a ticket before getting in bus. Using public transportation is a comfortable, cheap and green way to visit Bergamo, its landscape, its history and its fascinating beauty.